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USF Athletics Pioneers Anytime, Anywhere Learning With Apple MacBooks

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 9, 2009) --The University of South Florida today announced a unique educational program providing all of its student-athletes with access to a MacBook Pro 13-inch notebook computer every semester. The MacBook Pro notebooks provided to all student-athletes will give them the opportunity to work on course assignments and view academic materials at any time and in any location. As part of the program, USF will be adding new lectures to iTunes U, an area of the iTunes Store dedicated to educational material. With the MacBook Pro and a wireless internet connection, USF athletes will be able to access the lectures and other learning materials no matter where they are.“The goal is to create an anywhere, anytime learning environment for each of our student-athletes,” said USF Director of Athletics Doug Woolard. “Apple's MacBook Pro will assist in providing comprehensive academic support services while accommodating the demanding practice and travel schedules of our student-athletes. Our traveling teams will now be connected to classes, academic advisors and tutors anywhere in America, or for that matter the entire world.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Apple and leveraging its more than 30 years in education," said University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft. "Our use of innovative technology will directly improve the educational opportunities for the more than 460 student-athletes enrolled in over 2,400 different courses each semester.”

Every MacBook Pro features a sleek and durable aluminum unibody design, perfect for life on the road. Apple’s innovative, built-in battery delivers up to seven hours on a charge. iLife ’09, featuring iPhoto for managing photos, iMovie for making movies and GarageBand for creating and learning to play music comes on every MacBook Pro. All Macs also run Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, which includes iChat, allowing USF athletes to connect with tutors, academic advisors, academic coaches and fellow students regarding coursework. USF athletics has a long tradition in community involvement, and the built-in iSight camera on every MacBook Pro will allow USF athletes to connect with local schools through video conferencing, while the creative applications in iLife ’09 permit informative podcasts to be made easily.

Pursuant to NCAA rules, the notebook computers will remain the property of USF and will be checked out from and returned to the Athletics Department by student-athletes at the start and conclusion of each semester. Further, in accordance with NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2, USF student-athletes are precluded from endorsing, recommending or promoting the sale or use of Apple products or services.

This game-changing initiative was made possible by an allocation from the NCAA Academic Enhancement Fund, private funds raised from our Bulls Club annual auction and a grant from the Verizon Foundation.

The University of South Florida is one of the nation's top 63 public research universities and one of only 25 public research universities nationwide with very high research activity that is designated as community engaged by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. USF was awarded $380.4 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2008/2009. The university offers 232 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The USF System has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.